Dictator&#39;s station marking mechanism



July 14, 1942. H. P. cLAusEN 2,290,094

DICTATORS STATION MARKING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 4, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet"'1 INVENTOR. 'all/5; I? C/aasen July 14,1942. H. P. CLAUSEN 2,290,094

DICTATOR S STATION .MARKING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 4, 1940 .3She'ets-Sheet 2 'Fl n.

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. July 1 1 H. P. CLAUSEN 2,290,094

DICTATOR S STATION ,MARKING' MECHAQISM Filed Dec. 4, 1940 3 Shets-$heeta INVENTOR. fianryPC/ausdl? 7 BY I I Patented July 14,1942

UNITED S TATE S PATENT OFFICE D ICTATORS STATION MARKING MECHANISM HenryP. Clausen, White Plains, N. Y., assignor to The Gray ManufacturingCompany, Hartford, 001111., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationDecember 4, 1940, Serial No. 368,497

I 14 Claims.

This invention is concerned with mechanism by means of which a dictator,in operating a dictation'recording machine from a point remote withrespect to the recording machine, may be I provided with markingapparatus at his dictating station.

A general object of this invention may be stated to be the provision ofnovel marking apparatus under the direct control of a dictator operatingin properly timed relation with a dictation recording machine situatedat a point remote with respect to the marking apparatus and thedictator.

Afurther object of this invention is the provision of a combination ofthe above type which is, from the viewpoint of normal operation thereof,quite simple to operate and so interconnected as to ensure theproduction of an accurate marking chart which may with facility be usedby the transcriber to aid him during the transcription of the soundrecord thus made.

The other objects of this invention, some of which will be directlyreferred to and others implied, will become apparent from the followingdetailed description of embodiments of the invention when taken inconnection with the attached drawings illustrative of those embodiments.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction,arrangement, relative location of parts, steps and series of steps, allas will be explained in full detail hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, with some parts broken away,illustrating one application of the principles of the invention hereindisclosed.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a modified portion of the mechanismof Figure 1, representing an alternative thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the unit comprising the marking mechanismto be situated at the dictators station.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view thereof.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a chart sheet which may be used with thedevice of Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 1s a diagrammatic view, with some parts broken away, of acomplete system resulting from the introduction into Figure 1 of themechanism of Figure 2.

At the outset it is to be noted that although the invention will bedescribed in detail as a device suitable for use with dictationrecording machines, it will be apparent from the nature of limited.Likewise the description will be given more directly in relation to theapplication of the device of this invention to a dictation machine ofthe type disclosed in the co-pending application of Barton A. Proctorand Ferdinand C. W. 'I'hiede, Serial No. 218,082, filed July' 8, 1938.However, when fully understood it will become apparent that the subjectmatter of this invention is applicable to other types of sound recordingmachines, as for example those which make use of a cylindrical waxrecord tablet.

Prior to this invention'there have been de veloped marking systems foruse with dictation recording machines of such a nature that they trolthereof is effected from the dictators station by the operation ofcontrol devices.

In such systems some considerable efiort is required to learn theaccurate manipulation of the controls to produce the desired result,partly because of the number thereof and partly because of the fact thatthe effect of the operation of these controls is not observable innormal use at the control point.

A further difliculty with such asystem is that the results of theoperation of the controls not being strictly observable the dictator hasno way of checking the instructions which he intended to give by themanipulation of the controls and, therefore, is led to uncertainty andoften to the necessity of cluttering up the actual sound record withadditional instructions which undesirably diminish the capacity of therecord tablet and serve to confuse the transcriber.

Inthe light of these difiiculties an important object of this inventionmay be emphasized by pointing out that the mechanism thereof places therecord tablet at the control point where the dictator may observe at alltimes the record he is making thereon and may, when he so desires, makeadditional explanatory pencil notations.

It is a subsidiary object of this invention to provide awrecord markingapparatus which is relatively simple to operate and simple for a noviceto learn its operation.

In a general sense it may be stated that thecombination of thisinvention consists of marking apparatus operating in conjunction withthe sound recording machine, even though the be widely spaced, in suchmanner that the dictator the mechanism disclosed that its use is not soISIS will know at all times the condition of the record tablet. In otherwords, the dictator is provided with a visual indication of the amountof the record tablet used up, and the amount remaining. In addition, hehas a visible indication of the various record data which he hasrecorded. This is all accomplished in such manner that any transcribercan take any record tablet and correction data sheet and reproduce acorrect transcription of the recorded matter with ease. To sum up andemphasize the simplicity of the control mechanism, for a combination inaccordance with this invention, there is provided at the dictatorsstation a control for starting and stopping the machine, and easilydistinguishable controls for making the correct indication marks on therecord or correction sheet.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown the mechanism ofthis invention in combination with a sufiicient showing of a, soundrecording machine to establish the operative relationship therebetweenin accordance with this invention. lhe full details of a sound recordingmachine of the type diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 1 aredisclosed in the above-mentioned co-pending application.

It is to be noted that the sound recording portion of the apparatus isintended but need not necessarily be located at a point remote withrespect to the dictators station, and the portion of the mechanism to beplaced thereat. A combination of this type is adapted particularly foruse in large organizations where a central station is provided for anumber of sound recording machines. and provision is made throughout theadjacent offices for the operation thereof from any one of thoseoffices. Each of the ofiices will 'be provided with the simple deviceillustrated in Figures 3 and a, a sound pick-up device such as amicrophone, and a small push-button control board.

As illustrated in Figure l, the sound machine includes a verticalrotatable spindle l, having a toothed support 2 on the upper end thereofupon which a suitable record tablet 3 may be impaled for rotationthereof. As disclosed in the abovementioned application, the recordtablet may be in the form of a disc of thin, transparent celluloseacetate, smooth on both sides, and having a central aperture forinterlocking engagement with the spindle l,

The spindle l is journalled in a carriage ti which is mounted forrectilinear movement back and forth on any suitable support (not shown).Connected to the carriage l is a threaded rod 6 which meshes with a wormwheel 5 secured on the shaft i. Ihe rod 6 is engaged by a threaded fixedhalf-nut l so that as the rod 6 revolves it will move to the right orleft depending upon its wheel I i also journalled for rotation. Asdisclosed in the above-mentioned application, the friction wheel ii isjournalled on a support (not shown) so that thewheel rnay be moved intoengagement with the record tablet 5:3, when it is desired to cause it torotate, so as to hold it against the driving wheel 12.

The record tablet is engaged on its upper surface by the stylus of asound recording device I3 which is diagrammatically illustrated as ofthe piezo-electric crystal type. The flexible record tablet 3 is backedup opposite the stylus by means of a hardened rotatable platen or anvilM. In order to record with this device a fresh record tablet 3 isapplied to the spindle l and the carriage 4 moved to the extreme right,in which position the stylus of the recording device l3 will engage thetablet at a point near its center. -With wheel l2 revolving and wheel iiin contact with the tablet 3, the tablet will be caused to revolve andas a result rod 6 will revolve through the interconnection of spindle lwith rod 6 by-the worm wheel 5.

The rotation of rod 6 will cause its traverse to the left because nut lis fixed. Thus carriage Q will traverse to the left, carrying spindle lwhich is at the same time revolving on its longitudinal 7 axis. As thesound recording device is operated, it being of course connected to asuitable pick-up device including a microphone, a spiral sound recordwill be impressed on the tablet 3 in the form of a plurality ofsuccessive convolutions of gradually increasing diameter until therecord tablet is used up. The record groove will, of course; terminateat a point adjacent the peripheryof the record tablet 3.

As shown, the carriage t is grounded. The lower end of spindle l isprovided with a contact it for engagement once for every revolution ofthe spindle l with a contact it mounted on the carriage i on a suitableinsulating support ll. Contact i8 is connected by wire it to oneterminal of an electromagnet H8. The other terminal of the magnet isconnected by wire it to a suitable current source 33 which is groundedas shown. Magnet 98' operates a switch [18 one pose to be described.

Mounted on a suitable support, such as a pair of parallel rods 25 and2a, is a carriage or arm 26 which has a passage through it in which thethreaded shaft 22 lies, without contacting it. The carriage 2 5 isconnected by a spring 2? having one end fixed which acts to draw thecarriage to the left. A pawl or finger 28 is mounted on the carriage 2 5and engages the threads 23. Also mounted on the carriage 2 3 are themarking devices 29 and 30 which may be in the form of punches for thepurpose of making holes through or marks in a correction tab or sheet 30mounted thereunder. Returning to the magnet it, it will be seen that oneterminal is grounded while the other terminal is connected through acontrol switch 36 to the current source The mechanism comprising theelements it, 20, 22, 24, 25, 2E and 3!! and connected parts comprises asimple unit which is to be mounted in a suitable housing 3?? (seeFigures 3 and a forming part of the device to be located at thedictators station. This housing is part of a board or support 38 onwhich the record sheet 30 is to be placed when in use. When so placed itlies under the carriage 2d and the marking devices 29 and 383 mountedthereon. These consist of plunger-operated punches 29' and 363'respectively, arranged so they may punch a hole in that part of therecord sheet 3| over. which they lie at the time they are operated. Therecord sheet 3| may be made of paper and has a series of vertical andhorizontal lines in a preferred form as shown in Figure 5.

' In use the sheet is folded along the line 35 so that the end portionthereabove lies directly under the portion below the line 35. Thus ahole punched in the sheet will go through both superposed parts, of thesheet. When thus folded both the top and bottom parts of the sheet havetwo horizontal spaces which are provided with suitable indicia such asCor to in dicate correction marks and Fin to indicate finish marks. Itwill be seen that the marking device 29 traverses the correction spacewhile the marker 30 traverses the finish space. The sheet 3I has aportion in which any additional notations may be made by the dictator.The unit shown in Figures 3 and 4 is placed at the dictators station andis connected by wires to the dictation machine. There will, of course,be provided. controls for starting and stopping the dictation machinewhich have not been shown as not being necessary to a disclosure of thisinvention.

In describing the operation of the complete system it will first berecalled how the dictation machine operates. The rotation of spindle Iwill cause the regularly intermittent engagement of contact I5 withcontact I6. At each engagement a circuit will be completed from thegrounded terminal of the current source 23 through the grounded carriage4, spindle l, contact I5, contact I6, wire I8, magnet I8, wire I8", backto the current source. Upon each energization of the magnet I8 switch I8will close, completing a circuit from the grounded side of the currentsource 33 through switch I8 wire I 8.', magnet I9 and back to thecurrent source 33.

Each energization of magnet I9 will cause the pawl 20 to imparta'predetermined increment of rotation to the shaft 22 through the pawland ratchet 20 and 2I. The relay of which magnet I8 is a part shouldpreferably be of the delayed release type so that its energization willnot be of such a short duration that magnet I9 will not have anopportunity to correctly operate the pawl 20. Switch I8 will be heldclosed sufficiently long so that pawl 20 may properly rotate the shaft22. shaft 22 will permit the gradual traverse of the carriage 24 to theleft in Figures 1 and 3, under the urging of spring 21. Thus thecarriage 24 will move synchronously with the carriage 4 and the recordtablet 3.

It follows, therefore, that the position of the carriage 24 is a directindication of the relative position of the stylus of the recordingdevice I3 on the record tablet 3. At any position of carriage 24 thedictator may, if he has a correction to follow in the dictation, operatethe punch 29 to indicate that fact on the chart 3|. If the dictatorfinishes a particular piece of dictation he may operate the punch 30 toindicate that fact and the relative point where it occurs. In

addition he may add any explanatory notes on the bottom of the chart, asviewed in Figure 3, in

the proper transverse position with respect to the relative point on thesound record to which it applies. When the carriage 24 has travelledcompletely across the chart 3| the record tablet 3 is full. The chartmay then be removed'from The resultant rotation of its support anddelivered to the transcription room, for attachment or other suitableassociation with its related record tablet.

At the time of transcription the transcriber will tear off the portionabove the line 35 which in practice'may be perforated and apply it to aprovided portion of the transcribing machine and the travelling pointerthereof so that as the record tablet is reproduced the pointer willtraverse the data sheet and give ample indication of the approach ofcorrections or of the finish of a particular piece of dictation. Thetranscriber will use the remaining portion of th chart for theadditional notations on it. This portion will have the same relativelypositioned punch marks in it as did the smaller portion so that therelationship of the two parts may be easily ascertained.

When it is realized that the adjacent convolutions of the spiral recordgrooves on the record tablet 3 are spaced about 0.01 inch, in apractical embodiment of the machine, it will be seen that the mechanismto be placed at the dictators station must be extremely precise inconstruction and adjustment in order to cause synchronous movement ofthe carriage 24 with respect to the carriage 4 when using the mechanismso far described. In order to eliminate this problem, which is a problemonly in that it adds to the expense of the machine, the modifiedstructure of Figure 2 is provided.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the mechanism includes the magnet I8 withits wire 3 which is intended to be connected to the contact I6. Themagnet I8 of Figure 2 is the same magnet as that bearing the same numberin Figure 1 and will of course take its place. One contact of switch I8-is grounded as before, while the other contact is connected by the wireI8 to a magnet 40, the

other terminal of which is connected to the wheel 42 is free to rotateon a shaft 43 but is connected thereto by a spring 44.

A contact arm 45, is connected to the ratchet wheel 42 for rotation withit. The shaft .43 is connected to one terminal of a magnet 46, the otherterminal of which is connected to the wire Magnet 46 operates a pawl 50which also cooperates with the ratchet wheel 42 in a manner so as not toprevent rotation of the ratchet wheel 42 in a clockwise direction by thepawl 4|. However, the pawl 50 holds the ratchet wheel againstcounter-clockwise rotation as long as it is in engagement therewith.

A contact positioned to'be engaged by the contact finger 45 is connectedto wire I8" which will be connected to the same terminal of magnet I9 asis the wire I8" of Figure 1. The other terminal of magnet I9 will beconnected to the current source 33 as before. Likewise, as before, therelay of which magnet I8 is a part is of the delayed release type.Figure 6 diagrammatically illustrates the system of Figure 1 as modifiedby the addition of the mechanism of Figure 2, as

explained above. 7

In beginning the description of the operation of this modification itwill be noted that shaft 43, the ratchet 42, and contact finger 45 whileent from an examination of the circuits. As the recording machineoperates and contacts it and i6 engage at regular intervals, magnet itwill be energized, as before, with the result that switch It willintermittently close, and magnet 4i} will be intermittently energized.

Upon deenergization thereof the pawl 4| will cause the step-by-stepclockwise rotation of ratchet wheel 62 and contact finger &5 puttingspring at under gradually increasing tension. Pawl 50 will prevent thereverse rotation of the ratchet wheel 32 and finger d5. As arrangedcontact finger at will not engage the contact connected to wire it"until the tenth impulse or energization of magnet d8. Upon the tenthimpulse contact finger l5 will complete the circuit including wire iii,causing energization of the magnet l9 and hence a single step movementof shaft 22 in the desired amount.

It will be seen that magnet d8 will be in circuit with magnet iii-at thetime the circuit is completed, with the result that pawl Ell is pulledout of engagement with the ratchet wheel 42. However, the ratchet wheel62 isstill not released because itis held againstcounter-clockwiserotation by the pawl 4i because the energization ofmagnet all is maintained a predetermined period of time as a result ofthe fact that relay i8 is of the delayed release type, Thus adequatetime is allowed for the complete actuation of shaft 22 by the pawl 2t.However upon the deenergization of the magnet hit! at switch id pawl llwill release the ratchet wheel 52 with the result that tensioned'spring5% will snap the ratchet 42 and contact finger d5 back to initialposition, breaking the circuit to magnet l9. carriage 26 will only begiven an incremr-mt of movement one step for every ten revolutidns ofthe record tablet 33.

By properly proportioning the parts, the movement of carriage 2 1 ineach step may be any desired amount Within reasonable limits. Theaccuracy of construction of the mechanism for advancing the carriage 2%need not therefore be as great as in the previous arrangement withoutinterfering with the correct functioning of the apparatus. It isapparent, of course, that when a new record tablet 3 is placed on therecording machine the carriage 2 5 may be readily moved back to itsstarting position at the right, because pawl 28 may ride over thethreads 23 in the reverse direction. In accordance with well knownprinciples 2. spring (not shown) may act on the pawl 28 to ensure properfunctioning thereof.

From the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that the principles of this invention are capable of embodiment invarious physical forms. I do not, therefore, desire to be strictlylimited to the disclosure as given for purposes of illustration, butrather to the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the type described, the combination including meansfor supporting a record tablet on which a record is to be made, meansfor impressing a record on said tablet, means for causing relativemovement of said means, a marking mechanism, and electrical meansinterconnecting said marking mechanism with said record supporting meansand operated as a result of said relative movement for indicating at aremote point the relative position between said first two means.

2. In a machine of the type described, the combination including meansfor supporting a record aee oaa tablet on which a record is to be made,means for impressing a record on said tablet, means for causing relativemovement of said means, a marking mechanism, and means interconnectingsaid marking mechanism with said record supporting means for indicatingat a remote point the relative position between said first two means,said marking means including a pair of independently operable markingdevices for recording two sets of data relative to the record on thetablet.

3. In a machine of the type described, the combination including acarriage having a rotatable Thus the record tablet support, a soundrecording device for impressing a record on the tablet, means foreffecting movement of said carriage with respect to the sound recordingdevice, a marking device to be positioned remotely with respect to saidprior mechanism, and electromagnetically controlled means operated bysaid rotatable support for effecting simultaneous movement of saidmarking means.

4. In. a machine of the type described, the combination including acarriage for supporting a record tablet, a sound recording device forimpressing a record on the tablet, means for effecting movement of saidcarriage with respect to the sound recording device, a marking device tobe positioned remotely with respect to said prior record tablet support,means for operating said' marking device, and means for energizing saidmarking device operating means with successive impulses, one for eachrotation of the record tablet support.

6. In a' machine of the type described, the combination including arotatable record support, a sound recording head, means for effectingrelative movement between said record support and sound recording head,a marking device, electromagnetic means for effecting step-by-stepmovement of the marking device, and means operated by the rotatablesupport for repeatedly energizing said electromagnetic means as therecord tablet revolves, whereby the instantaneous relative positionbetween the recording head and the record tablet is indicated by themarking device.

7. In a machine of the type described, the combination including arotatable record support, a sound recording head, means for efiectingrelative movement between the record support and the sound recordinghead, a switch operated by the record support so as to be closed foreach revolution thereof, a marking device, and means for efiecting.operation of the marking device in timed relation to the movement of therecord support including means for storing a predetere mined number ofimpulses whereby the marking device is given an increment of movementfor a predetermined number of revolutions of the record support.

8. In a machine of the type described, the combination including acarriage having a record support journalled thereon, means for causingmovement of said carriage, a sound recording head-positioned to engagethe record tablet when mounted on said record support, a control deviceoperated intermittently once for each revolution of said recordsupport,'a marking device, and

means controlled by said, control device for operating said markingdevice in timed relation with said carriage.

9. In a machine of the type described, the combination including acarriage having a record support joumalled thereon, means for causingmovement of said carriage, a sound recording head positioned to engagethe record tablet when mounted on said record support, a control deviceoperated once for each revolution of said record support, a markingdevice, and means controlled by said control device for operating saidmarking device in timed relation with said carriage, said marking deviceincluding a rotatably supported threaded shaft, a carriage slidablymounted with respect to said threaded shaft, and means interconnectingthe threaded shaft with said carriage whereby rotation of the threadedshaft causes movement of said carriage.

'10. In a machine of the type described the combination including afixed recording head, a movable carriage, a rotatable record supportingspindle mounted on said carriage, a marking device supported formovement with respect to a chart, means for causing movement ofsaidmark- 40 saidspindle.

erated by said supportingmeans for moving the marking device in timedrelation with said support, said marking device serving to indicate theposition of the recording head on the record tablet, andmeans at thesound recording device and connected to the marking device for operatingthe marking device at will. I

12. In a machine of the type described, the combination including meansfor supporting and rotating a record tablet, a sound recording devicepositioned to engage the record tablet to impress a sound recordthereon, means for effecting relative movement between both of saidmeans, a marking device adapted to be situated remotely with respect tosaid previous elements, means for operating the marking device toindicate th instantaneous relative position between said recordingdevice and the record tablet, and means operated by said means foreffecting said relative movement to energize said last means.

13. In a machine of the type described, the combination including afixed recording head, a movable carriage, a rotatable record supportingspindle mounted on said carriage, a marking device supported formovement with respect to a chart, means for causing movement of saidmarking device, and means including an energizing device operated bysaid splndle for energizing said ,last means once for each rotation ofsaid spindle.

14. In a machine of the type described, the combination including afixed recording head, a movable carriage, a rotatable record supportingspindle mounted on" said carriage, a marking device supported formovement with respect to a chart, means for causing movement of saidmarking device, and means operated by said spindle for energizing saidlast means so that the marking device is given one increment of movementfor a predetermined plurality of revolutions of HENRY P. CLAUSEN.

